1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a haptic actuator. More particularly, the present invention relates to a haptic actuator using a cellulose electro-active paper film.
2. Description of the Related Art
Haptics is a technology that enables a user to feel tactile sensations, force, motions and so on using a user input device, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a touch screen, etc., among the functions of a computer. Haptics is derived from the Greek adjective ‘haptesthai’ meaning to touch, and is also referred to as a computer tactile technology.
In conventional computer techniques, audio-visual information has been mainly used for human-computer interactions. However, a user wants virtual reality to provide more specific and graphic information, and thus, haptic techniques for transferring tactile sensations and force were developed. Haptic technology is employed in the touch screens of computers, and haptic devices and haptic rendering have also been widely applied to a variety of fields including medical simulators, aircraft and fighter simulators, vehicle simulators, and game simulators. In the near future, the haptic device is expected to be fundamentally mounted together with a monitor and speakers currently used as the output devices of the computer. Furthermore, because the potential profitability of haptics in the leisure industry is very large, research therein seems to be being conducted in depth.
However, conventional haptic devices are large and thick making it difficult to apply them to visual displays such as monitors or liquid crystal displays. Moreover, they are very opaque, and undesirably can only be embedded in visual displays instead of being applied thereon. Also, components such as polymers used for the haptic devices may undesirably cause environmental contamination.